It is known that improper positioning of the mandible is a common cause of snoring and many sleep disorders related to narrowing of the post pharyngeal space. It is also known to use an oral appliance mounted to a patient's maxillary and mandibular arches, which repositions the mandible to alleviate snoring and sleep disorders.
To alleviate such problems proper positioning of the mandible is critical, and even very minor deviation can severely diminish or defeat the effectiveness of the appliance. Many conventional appliances overextend the mandible, or are otherwise not adjustable in sufficiently fine increments to achieve the optimum setting. Other appliances fix the mandible in a completely rigid position, allowing no movement in the anterior/posterior, lateral or vertical directions, which in many cases can cause mandibular dysfunction. Prior art appliances can also be uncomfortable for the patient, being bulky in the protrusive direction or blocking the tongue from moving anterior of the appliance.
Prior art mandibular repositioners also tend to be difficult to adjust, and require that adjustments be made by a dental professional in order to fix the mandible into the optimum position. This gives rise to an additional expense that must be borne by the patient, which in many cases is unnecessary because the patient is often in the best position to determine the most comfortable and effective setting for the appliance. It would accordingly be advantageous to provide an appliance for alleviating snoring and sleep disorders, which can be easily adjusted by the patient within precise tolerances and which allows lateral or vertical mandibular movement where desirable.